For
weeks, you've heard about it. Starting today,
and every weekday for the next 15 weeks, nearly
150 champions will converge for the most
extensive Jeopardy! tournament EVER with a $2
million purse on the line. So extensive, in
fact, that we've moved it over to Primes. It's
THAT big.
From Sony PR
They're coming from as far away as Thailand,
South Africa and Holland, all for the chance to
answer the question, "Who is the best Jeopardy!
player ever?" On Wednesday, February 9th ,
Jeopardy!, America's Favorite Quiz Show®, will
begin broadcast of its biggest tournament to
date, "The Ultimate Tournament of Champions", a
15-week mega-tourney, reuniting the greatest
players in Jeopardy!'s 21-year history.
In November 2004, Jeopardy! phenomenon Ken
Jennings entered the record books as the biggest
money-winner in game show history, prompting the
question, "How would he do against other
Jeopardy! greats?" Now, the producers of the hit
television quiz show are prepared to answer that
question by launching a special series of shows
spotlighting competition among nearly 150
classic Jeopardy! champions - culminating with a
$2 Million dollar cash prize to the winner.
"The 2003 rule change, which allows Jeopardy!
players to keep playing until they're defeated,
raised the question about how other five-time
champions might have played under this rule,"
said Jeopardy! Executive
Producer Harry Friedman. "This Tournament is an
opportunity to give those past champions another
chance to shine."
Invited to compete in the Tournament are the
winners of every Jeopardy! Tournament of
Champions, College Championship and Teen
Tournament, including yesterday's winner Michael
Braun, and the field will include over 100 of
the top-scoring, undefeated, five-time champions
since the show began in 1984.
Collectively, these Jeopardy! champions have won
over $15 million dollars in their past
appearances.
The tournament participants will compete in a
series of games, which will narrow the field to
two players who will compete against Ken
Jennings in the finals, to be broadcast in May.
Winners of the games in
every round of the tournament will keep their
winnings, with minimum guarantees throughout,
and non-winners receive cash consolation prizes.
How it works
The format of Jeopardy!'s Ultimate Tournament of
Champions is as follows:
Round 1
One hundred thirty-five players compete in one
game each. Winners of the games in Round One of
the tournament will keep their winnings, with a
minimum guarantee of $15,000, and advance to the
next round of competition. Non-winners will
receive $5,000.
Round 2
Forty-five winners from Round One will be joined
by nine "seeded" players and play one game each.
The seeded players were selected based on past
accomplishments and status as record holders:
*Chuck Forrest:* Record holder in regular
winnings ($72,800) until Season 6.
*Frank Spangenberg:* Record holder in regular
winnings ($102,597) from Season 6 until Season
19.
*Brian Weikle:* Record holder in regular
winnings ($149,200) from Season 19 until
five-day rule change.
*Robin Carroll:* Most cumulative (including all
tourneys) money won on Jeopardy! ($224,100)
until the Million Dollar Masters Tournament.
*Brad Rutter:* 1st Place Million Dollar Masters
winner, and most money won on Jeopardy!
($1,155,102), until Ken Jennings.
*Eric Newhouse:* 2nd place, Jeopardy! Million
Dollar Masters.
*Bob Verini:* 3rd place, Jeopardy! Million
Dollar Masters.
*Sean Ryan:* First six-time champion.
*Tom Walsh:* First seven-time champion (also,
record holder in regular winnings -- $184,900
until Ken Jennings).
The winners of each of the Round Two games will
keep their winnings, with a minimum guarantee of
$20,000, and move on to the next round.
Non-winners receive $10,000.
Round 3
The 18 winners from Round Two will compete in
one game each. Winners keep their winnings, with
a guarantee of $30,000, and move on to the
Semi-Final round. Non-winners receive $15,000.
Round 4 - Semi-finals
Three of the six winners from Round Three
compete in a two-day total point match, with the
combined total point winner becoming one
Finalist. The other three semi-finalists compete
in another two-day total point
match, with the combined total point winner
becoming the second Finalist. All players in the
Semi-Finals keep their two-day totals, with the
two winners of the round receiving a minimum
guarantee of $50,000
each. The two second-place finishers in each
match receive a guarantee of $30,000;
third-place is guaranteed $20,000.
Finals
The two surviving champions face-off with
record-holder Ken Jennings in a three day total
point match to be broadcast May 23-25. $250,000
goes to Third place; $500,000 for Second place;
and a $2 Million dollar cash prize will be
awarded to the winner!
Jeopardy!, a winner of 24 Emmy awards since its
debut in 1984, is produced by Sony Pictures
Television, a Sony Pictures Entertainment
Company, and is distributed domestically by King
World Productions, Inc.
The series is distributed internationally by CBS
Paramount International Television.
On the web:
Jeopardy.com
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